Useless in the Rain
by silver six
Summary: Roy x Riza: a strange meeting on a rainy day


Fan-Fiction: Useless in the Rain: One-shot: Roy Mustang/Riza Hawkeye

Disclaimer: I do not own Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang, or Central, no matter how much I wish I did (just like no matter how much Roy wishes he had waterproof gloves, he doesn't (so there)).

"Colonel?" Hawkeye looked up to see Mustang pulling on his coat and heading for the door. "What are you doing?"

Mustang cringed and froze halfway out the door. Riza noted his strange expression: was that guilt? He wouldn't look at her. "What are you doing?" she repeated.

Mustang was silent for a moment, his eyes flicking between the ceiling and the open door. He still wouldn't face her.

"Sir?"

"I'm going home!" He slammed the door behind him.

Hawkeye frowned. There had been a mountain of paperwork this morning; there was no way the Colonel could have been finished by now. Her frown deepened as she remembered the strange way Mustang had been acting the past few days. He hardly got any work done (but that was normal). The strange thing was the way he seemed to jump every time she spoke to him. And also how she would sometimes catch him staring at her through the door that divided their offices.

Riza stood up slowly, pushing her chair in and wincing at the screeching noise. She tip-toed into Mustang's empty office, feeling like a fool and wondering what she would do if for some reason the Colonel came back and found her in here.

Nothing immediately caught her eyes. A pile of paperwork sat untouched on the desk. So he really hadn't done anything all day?

Then Hawkeye saw the roses.

A bundle of two dozen roses lay crumpled in the wastebasket, their petals crushed and torn but still crimson red. Riza was curious despite herself. She leaned down, hesitating for a moment before beginning to rummage around in among the roses.

Had the Colonel broken up with another girl?

Had his date cancelled on him?

Who were the roses for, and why were they in the trash?

Then she found it. A small white piece of paper, the gift card that had come with the flowers. She turned it over and squinted to read the Colonel's untidy scrawl.

Riza: Meet me at the corner of Candlewick St. and Sterling Avenue at 7:00 tonight. It's important that you come. –Mustang

Hawkeye frowned. What was going on?

She glanced up at the clock.

6:54.

She could still make it if she hurried.

Hawkeye grabbed her coat and was out the door in an instant, with hardly a backwards glance at the paperwork that lay unfinished on her desk. This was more important. There seemed to be something wrong with Mustang.

What else could explain his strange behaviour?

Maybe he's sick, Hawkeye thought as she hurried down the hall.

'Or maybe the roses really were for you,' whispered a small voice in her head. Shut up, she told it fiercely. That's impossible.

88

Roy Mustang stood at the corner of Candlewick and Sterling, wondering what to do with himself. He kept trying to tell himself: there was no way Riza would know he was waiting for her. The note and roses were in the trash.

He cursed himself for ever buying the stupid things. He knew it was against protocol to fraternize with another officer, he had always known. So why couldn't he ever seem to bring himself to follow the rules?

Perhaps… he thought with an inward sigh. Perhaps it's because… I think…

I love her.

"No!" he said aloud, furious with himself. He couldn't say anything to her. Not a word. Anything like that would end up royally screwing them both over. If they were caught, they would be court marshalled, the both of them, stripped of their ranks or put in jail…

Or worse. Hawkeye might be transferred far away. He might never see her again. Mustang groaned. He could tell her he loved her and lose her forever, or keep quiet and never know if she felt the same way about him.

"So what do I do?" he whispered.

It began to rain.

Hawkeye burst out the military base's front doors almost at a run. She had no idea why she was so desperate to meet the Colonel, but she knew she had to get there in time even if it killed her.

Suddenly the Lieutenant screeched to a halt. The note had been in the trash. Mustang had no idea she had seen it. He wouldn't be waiting for her.

But perhaps… she allowed herself to hope for a moment.

Before it started to rain.

Riza groaned as the droplets soaked her to the skin in instants. Now there was no way the Colonel would wait for her. He always headed for the nearest building whenever it started to rain. She was sure he wouldn't stand out in this waiting for a person he knew wasn't coming.

Hawkeye considered going back inside to finish her work, but she knew that really all she would do was track mud into the office. There was no way she could concentrate now. And the corner of Candlewick and Sterling was on her way home anyways…

Despite her best attempts to forget the entire incident, Hawkeye found herself pondering the mystery of the note and roses as she stared at the sidewalk, and noticed her heart beating faster as the corner of Candlewick and Sterling fast approached.

Three blocks.

Could it have been a joke? The Colonel was always playing tricks like that. It wasn't beyond him, she knew. But somehow she knew that that particular hypothesis was wrong…

Two blocks.

Could he have been serious? She immediately dismissed the thought. The rain beat down on the back of her neck as she continued to stare at the sidewalk.

One block.

But then what was going on?

"Riza."

Hawkeye looked up so fast she heard a joint in her spine crack. Rubbing the back of her neck, she gaped at the person standing at the end of the block, on the corner of Candlewick and Sterling.

It was Mustang. His dark hair hung limp and soaked about his face, even the thick material of the blue uniform her wore clinging to his skin. His eyes stared out at her, uncertain for the first time she had ever seen them.

"C-Colonel!" Hawkeye stammered, straightening to attention. "What are you doing here?"

Mustang stared at her for a moment, and the pain in his eyes caught her off guard. "You…" he murmured, and then suddenly, looking away he let out a string of profanities so long and obscene that even Riza Hawkeye blinked. She waited for him to stop, but he continued to swear, cursing the world and everything in it.

Finally, scowling, she strode up to him and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Stop it," she said firmly. "Sir."

Roy stared at her for a moment before reaching up with one gloved hand to pry her hand away from his mouth. He swore one more time and was silent.

"Are you done?" Hawkeye asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I'm done."

She sighed and glanced away, not wanting to get caught in Mustang's black eyes. The clip that held her soaked hair back slipped a little and she reached back to tighten it.

Mustang watched her for a moment. She's beautiful, he thought, and glanced away, hating himself for the thought. How could he ever face her again if he got her demoted or kicked out of the military? But… he thought sadly, glancing back to see her studying the sidewalk. It's true. She's beautiful.

I love her.

Roy blinked and took a step back. "Hang on," he said, a joking tone creeping into his voice, "how did you even know I would be here? The note was in my office!"

Hawkeye stiffened. "This street is on my route home," she said tersely. But then, glancing sidelong at him, she added, "Your handwriting is as messy as ever."

"You went into my office!" Mustang accused, stifling a laugh. "Lieutenant Hawkeye, you were snooping in my office!"

"You can't prove it," Hawkeye said lamely.

Mustang doubled over in laughter. Hawkeye stood stiffly, watching him with one eyebrow raised in annoyance.

The Colonel cackled for a long while, but finally straightened and met the Lieutenant's gaze, his coal black eyes searching.

Hawkeye felt her heart skip a beat. She shivered, suddenly aware of the freezing rain. "I'm cold," she murmured, more of a remark than a complaint.

"I can fix that," Mustang said with a smile, raising his hand and snapping his fingers.

Nothing happened, and Hawkeye began to laugh as Roy stared at his hand in bewilderment. "Don't you remember, Colonel?" she said. "You're useless in the rain."

"Oh," Mustang said, a faint hint of colour creeping into his cheeks. "Of course." He looked at her for a moment and then, smiling disarmingly, reached forward to brush a strand of hair from the Lieutenant's face.

Hawkeye shivered again, whether from the cold or from his touch she wasn't sure which. They stood together for a moment, and no words were needed to fill the silence.

Mustang sneezed.

"Oh, no!" Hawkeye squeaked. "Sir, you'll catch cold!"

"And what about you?" Roy smiled.

She ignored him, grabbing his hand and dragging her along after her. Mustang could only stare after her, utterly at a loss for words. When they reached the door of Hawkeye's house he started to protest but she simply hauled him inside.

"Sit down, Colonel," she commanded, pointing to the couch in the living room.

"But—" Mustang started.

"Sit."

Feeling more like a wet dog than anything else Roy Mustang sat down stiffly, trying not to look at his surroundings. He'd never been here before, and he was decidedly uncomfortable. He concentrated on the sounds Lieutenant Hawkeye was making in the next room, boiling water, opening two packets of instant tea. It had been a long day.

Slowly Mustang's eyelids fluttered, his head drooped, and he fell asleep.

Hawkeye strode into the room carrying two mugs of tea, but stopped when she saw the Colonel asleep on the sofa. She blinked and felt tears in her eyes. He looked so innocent, so different from how she saw him during the day. Carefully she set the mugs down, her hands shaking, and sat down beside Mustang, close enough that she could feel the steam rising off his sodden clothes as they dried.

Hawkeye sighed to look at him, wishing she knew what he thought of her. She had been sure of her feelings for awhile now.

She only wished he thought the same.

But he'd treated her with such blistering indifference for so long that she couldn't believe that he felt anything for her.

Hesitantly Hawkeye reached over to touch his face. Just this once. He was sleeping, right? What harm could it do?

Roy opened his eyes and sat up so fast he almost fell off the sofa. For a moment he stared wildly around, unable to get his bearings, and then his gaze fell on the Lieutenant.

She was so goddamn beautiful.

Hawkeye stared at him and for a moment, just one single moment she saw the pain in his eyes. But then he covered his face with his hands and his lovely eyes were hidden from her.

Mustang sat that way for a long time, his head in his hands. What do I do? he thought, panicking. I love her. I do. I always have. There's no one else I care so much about in the entire world. And…

And I don't think I could stand it if she ended up with someone else because I never told her how I feel. God damn it, Mustang!

What the hell am I supposed to do?

Riza reached out and touched his shoulder. He flinched away and she drew back, worried.

"…Sir?"

Mustang knew. He had known for awhile. He knew he was going to tell her and maybe ruin it all for both of them, but hell, he had to tell her!

Even if she might never forgive him for it.

Slowly Roy raised his head and glanced sidelong at the Lieutenant, who was staring at him with a worried look on her face.

She was sitting close. Right next to him. He could see every droplet of water that still clung to her hair, every light the glinted off her mahogany eyes. Slowly he placed a hand on her shoulder and drew her closer, tilting his head and whispering in her ear: "Do you mind?"

"Mind what, sir?" Hawkeye's voice cracked; her heart was thudding wildly. She could feel his breath on her ear.

"Do you mind my being selfish?" Mustang asked, drawing back ever so slightly so he could look her in the eye. His hand stroked her face, tracing the line of her jawbone.

Hawkeye shivered. "I d-don't understand, sir."

Mustang smiled, something that looked like it broke his heart to do, and slowly leaned forward and kissed Hawkeye.

Riza had been unknowingly leaning backwards, and suddenly she overbalanced and crashed to the floor. She picked herself up, subconsciously snapping to attention. "It's late," she whispered. "You should be getting home, sir."

Roy stood up and opened his mouth as though to say something. But then he closed it and strode past the Lieutenant and into the hall, where he slipped his still-drenched coat and tried to do up the buttons with shaking hands.

Hawkeye saw him fumbling and helped him with it, doing up the buttons one by one with deft hands and then stepping back.

"So what?" the Colonel said finally. "Are you going to send me out there without an umbrella?"

Hawkeye jumped. "No, sir, of course not." She unhooked a black umbrella from a nearby stand and handed it to him hilt-first, like a sword.

Mustang opened the front door and without a backwards glance he strode outside and into the rain, the umbrella forgotten.

Hawkeye felt tears running down her face. She couldn't believe it.

She was just letting him go.

"Sir!" Hawkeye called, her voice cracking. Mustang didn't seem to hear her; he kept walking. She ran out the front door and tripped down the steps and into the rain. Drenched and freezing in seconds, she stumbled towards his retreating form.

"Sir!" she cried again, grabbing a fistful of his coat and almost dragging him backwards into her.

Mustang turned, surprised. "Lieutenant Hawkeye? You'll catch cold coming out here dressed like that!"

Hawkeye smiled. "Doesn't—matter," she gasped, releasing his coat.

Mustang reached down and opened the umbrella, holding it over both of them. "Why did you…" He trailed off as Hawkeye caught her breath and straightened.

"Um," she said uncertainly. "You—forgot…"

"Forgot what?"

"You forgot to tell me why you were being selfish," Hawkeye stammered. Realizing how close they were standing she took a step back, and was immediately drenched. Mustang pulled her back under the umbrella, and closer than she had been before. "You want to know why I was being selfish?" he asked, slipping an arm around her shoulders and drawing her yet closer. Their faces were inches apart. "I'm selfish," he whispered, "selfish in that…" and he kissed her again "…I love you."

Riza's knees went weak and finally collapsed out from under her. If Roy hadn't been holding her up she would have fallen. She smiled shakily, wrapping her arms around his neck, and kissed him back. "I love you, too…Roy," she whispered.

Mustang was mock surprised. "What! Even though I'm useless in the rain?"

Hawkeye smiled. "Especially because you're useless in the rain."

'Kay, lame ending, I know, but hell. This is only my second one-shot. Plz review! I don't care what you say or if you say much at all, I'd just like to know if you've read it!


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